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Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Kimi Raikkonen makes shock return to Ferrari for 2014

Kimi Raikkonen will drive for Ferrari in 2014, marking a return to the team where the Fin won the world championship in 2007. The 33-year-old has signed a two year deal.

Raikkonen's return sees Ferrari have two world champions on their
team for the first time since the 1950s when Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe
Farina drove for the Prancing Horse.

Raikkonen will replace Felipe Massa who announced via a post on Instagram and Twitter that he would not be returning to the Scuderia next season.

'From 2014 I will no longer be driving for Ferrari' said the Brazilian 'I would like to thank the team for all the victories and incredible moments experienced together...'.

Massa (L) makes way for former team mate Raikkonen

Despite coming agonisingly close to securing the world championship in 2008, Massa has underperformed since 2010 when he made his return from a horrific accident at the previous year's Hungarian Grand Prix where his helmet was struck by a spring from Rubens Barichello's Brawn GP car which was ahead on track.

Massa's return also coincided with Fernando Alonso's move to Ferrari. The Spaniard has been undisputed number one since, which has seen Massa give up a race victory in Germany in 2010 and forfeit his place on the grid at last year's United States Grand Prix by purposely having a seal broken on his gearbox to receive a penalty which in turn moved Alonso into a better starting position.

Massa has struggled to match Alonso since the two became team mates and whist Alonso has notched up 11 wins in that time, Massa has failed to add to his victory tally - His most recent win coming at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.